“I’m really pleased the American Meat Institute is working on putting these videos out because I think we need to show people what’s done in the industry when it’s just done right in a typical large plant,” Grandin said in the introduction to the video.
The pork video tourstarts on the farm in a finishing barn, depicts pigs loading on trailers, unloading at the plant, stunning of pigs to make them insensible to pain, which is required by law, the bleeding process, carcass chilling and fabrication of carcasses into cuts that consumers eat. The video also details the AMI animal-welfare audit.
A companion print brochure was released with the video and includes a series of commonly asked questions about animal welfare with answers provided by Dr. Grandin.
“We recognize that many consumers want more information about how livestock are handled and processed in US meat and poultry plants. Our Glass Walls Project is an effort to increase transparency,” said Janet Riley, AMI senior vice president of public affairs and member services and liaison to the Institute’s Animal Welfare Committee. “We were fortunate that Dr. Grandin, a leading expert on animal handling and welfare in meat plants, agreed to host the video tours and played such a pivotal role in their production. We are proud to offer an honest look inside our plants and to show the public our long-standing commitment to ensuring optimal livestock welfare.”
